Nuss procedure

The Nuss procedure (also termed MIRPE - minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum) is one of the operative treatments employed in patients with pectus excavatum.

It involves inserting of one (or more) concave metal bars beneath the sternum in the anterior chest wall. It is significantly less invasive than the Ravitch procedure and has largely replaced it.

Differential diagnosis

A reverse Nuss procedure can be performed for treatment of pectus carinatum1; the main difference is that the bar is placed superficially to the sternum, instead of deep to the sternum, to pull the sternum back towards the spine.